 leader Aaditya Thackeray?w=900)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: As the Shiv Sena (UBT) launched efforts to pull the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc out the crisis and resurrect it, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray warned Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu that what happened to Shiv Sena can happen to them as well.
The junior Thackeray was in New Delhi and held back to back meetings with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Aaditya, who is a key leader of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, drove home the point for the opposition to remain united as democracy is at stake.
After the back to back defeats in Legislative Assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi and war of words among the allies, the opposition I.N.D.I.A is in a phase of crisis.
The Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre is running with the support of Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party.
However, Aaditya chose to warn JD (U) later and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
“What happened with us and Kejriwal ji and the Congress, could happen with Rashtriya Janata Dal (founded by Lalu Prasad), Nitish ji, and Chandrababu ji in future,” Thackeray told reporters in the national capital.
Aaditya, a two-time MLA from Worli and former minister, questioned the role of the Election Commission, the election process and the voter list and EVM frauds.
"Today, the future of your country is in doubt. Today, we don't know where our vote is going amid voter fraud and EVM fraud in the country. Are elections being held in a free and fair manner in our country today? We think we are living in a democracy, but it is no longer a democracy,” he asked.
He also revealed that efforts are being made to prepare a future roadmap for the INDIA bloc.
"There are many senior leaders for I.N.D.I.A Bloc who will prepare its roadmap. INDIA Bloc has joint leadership. There is no one leader. This is not a fight of egos or for one's benefit but a fight for the future of the country," Thackeray added.
Asked why he did not meet NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, he said: “In Mumbai, we often meet…just a few days ago, we met in Mumbai.”
The statement assumes significant as the Thackerays are upset over Pawar conferring the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar in the presence of Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde.
Pressed further, Aaditya said: “I won’t comment on his (Sharad Pawar's) age, seniority, or principles. However, it is our principle never to honour someone like Eknath Shinde. He has not only divided our party and family but also weakened Maharashtra's industrial backbone….jo Maharashtra drohi hai, woh desh drohi bhi hota hai…"